Just Rose
by Lift the Wings
Summary: Rosalba, with her pink hair and yellow eyes, was an oddity to society. Maybe following her friend Alice and a rabbit down a rabbit hole is exactly what she needed. Alice has a destiny; and what of Rose? Every visit to Wonderland is predetermined, no? MHOC
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own _Alice in Wonderland, _but I have to say, I adored Johnny's performance in it! My favorite thing was definitely his Scottish accent… whoo! =D

Prologue

People found me strange. I was never quite sure why they did; I never meant to be strange on purpose. Actually, I wouldn't consider myself strange at all. Strange to them was normal to me. The fact that I had a muted shade of sunflower yellow as my eye color and shockingly pink hair was different, to be sure, but not strange. Rather, it was unique; mine alone. It was what made me different from the rest of them; the ones who dressed alike, talked alike, favored propriety and rules over the simple pleasures of a pointless conversation about what life would be like if one could breathe under water or be any animal of one's choosing.

Try telling the people of 1800s. Even though thought was as modern as it had ever been, I was still forced to wear a silly wig, though nothing could be done for the eyes. Mother always told people that it was a strange affliction that I had had as a child. Left the eyes yellow, she claimed. Nasty business; I had almost died.

My little sister Amanda and older brother John, would scoff and shake their heads, but never commented. We all knew that was silly; I had yellow eyes and people would always poke fun at them, even if it was from some deathly disease as Mother claimed. People were cruel here, as strange to me as I was to them.

I ran a hand through my wavy mess of salmon locks, wishing that, for once, my parents would allow me to leave the house without that insufferable blonde wig. It itched and annoyed, weightier than one would think. And blonde; why blonde? Were they trying to make me like our neighbor, Alice Kingsley? I was not her and the sooner my mother would accept that, the sooner I could feel as though I belonged a little more.

"There you are, Rose… Mother's been waiting for the last twenty minutes for you to come downstairs."

Turning, I saw my younger sister, dear little Amanda, standing in the doorway of my small bedroom, shaking her head admonishingly, though there was a small smile on her face. Though the twelve year old was nearly ten years younger than I was, she knew more about me than anyone. I considered her more of a friend than the daft twits my parents wanted me to be like. Her skin was light, nose upturned slightly, with her wild auburn hair hanging loose.

"I didn't mean to keep her waiting, Mandy," I replied, turning back to the mirror and considering my appearance. The dress I wore complimented my vibrant hair nicely, though I knew the minute I wore that horrendous wig, I would look dull and bland, washed out in muted, colorless shades. The dress was only barely yellow, looking more of an off-white than I had hoped. It rested just below my knees and was fitted with a lacy, hardly blue corset. I wore white stockings, though I admit, they were cut off just above the hem of the dress. I loathed stockings almost as much as I loathed the wig I was now adjusting over my natural hair. A pair of white shoes adorned my feet, heeled and strapped in place.

"It looks much better with the pink," Mandy stated resolutely, before turning and making her way down the corridor, "let's go, Rosalba!"

Tucking the last few wisps of my pink tresses under the soft, elegantly-styled wig, I grinned. Rosalba. It was such a strange name; a name that my mother refused to call me. I was always Rose, just Rose. When she introduced me to new people, it was always like this: "I would like to present to you my daughter Rose." "What a lovely name; is it short for anything?" "No, it's Rose. Just Rose."

I'm sure by now you're questioning my family. Wondering why my mother dislikes my hair or eye color or refuses to call me by the name they had given me. And I'm sure most of you have already figured out that they aren't truly my family.

Twenty years ago, at the tender age of two, I was found on the doorstep of Sir Andrew and Mrs. Lillian Garter. Apparently I had wandered there, spouting off strange words like 'rabbits' and 'castles' and 'Rosalba'. They were dissuaded at first, taking in the bizarre appearance I had even then. Finally, the longing for another child and natural protective instincts wore away their discomfort.

Assuming that Rosalba was my name, I was christened Rosalba Delilah Garter and taken in. Even as a child, my mother forced me to wear a wig, vowing that I didn't look human with the shade mine was. She had hoped that it was simply some sort of dye or paint, but after several good scrubbings and the color remaining the same, she was defeated, made to admit that it was indeed, an unchanging thing.

My father, bless him, was more understanding than I would have expected. He was much like our neighbor, Mr. Kingsley. They were kindred spirits, as I called them. Similar, with ideas that didn't fit society's norms. He was always kind and funny, his light green eyes always shining proudly on both John and I. John was just like Father. Understanding, accepting of my unusual appearance. He was quite amused by my looks, though never in a harsh or demeaning way. He simply enjoyed the strangeness of it all, taking it in stride.

And then Amanda came along and never looked at me oddly. Yes, I had pink hair and yellow eyes, but that didn't change the fact that I was her older sister. I was looked up to, trusted and relied on for help whenever she needed it. Once, and Mother was furious when she found out, she had tried to make her hair the same shade as mine, pouring her pink watercolor paints in her hair. John and I had an interesting time trying to clean our younger sister up after that.

Knowing that Father could only keep Mother patient for so long, I made my way down the corridor, following the same steps my sister had taken just moments before. Today was the day that Hamish Ascot would propose to Alice Kingsley, though I wasn't quite sure if she knew it or not.

Having the closest house to ours, Alice and I were good friends. She had equally strange ideas and, as her father once proclaimed, she was entirely bonkers, but that was fine. If only Mother would realize that. Her mother didn't like me very much, believing that I had filled her daughter's head with these strange ideas and thoughts, along with her father.

_Maybe I can warn Alice before he proposes…_, I thought, nodding slightly to myself, _at least she can be prepared then. And maybe John will get off his lazy arse and ask her himself…_

Though he had sworn to secrecy, if my hesitant brother didn't ask Alice to marry him before Hamish did, he would have to watch her marry another man. Though he didn't have as much to offer her financially in the way Hamish did, I was sure she would prefer him over Hamish. It wasn't hard to prefer _any_ man over Hamish. I was just pleased that he hadn't set his sights on me…

I quickly made my way out to the waiting carriage, where Father and John stood beside it, Mother and Amanda already sitting inside the comfortable, plush vehicle. Father, his hair graying and wrinkles forming on his face, smiled down at me, though he eyed the wig dubiously.

"There you are, Rose; your mother was beginning to worry," he chuckled, "wanted to leave without you."

"You could have," I answered with an impish smile, "I wouldn't have minded, really. I'm just planning on telling Alice about the proposal before it happens is all. If John would do it for me, I would be happy to stay home." Shooting my older brother a grin, I laughed at his embarrassed frown.

"I wish you would keep your mouth shut sometimes, Rose," John grimaced, moving toward the carriage, "you think I want this to happen? I just have to work up my nerve."

"Better do it soon, son," Father chuckled, offering me his hand to help me into the carriage. Grinning at my brother's surprised, discomforted look, I climbed inside and sat beside Amanda.

The Ascot's property was beautiful; I always loved coming here and wandering about. Today it looked equally impressive, decorated with tents and lights, elegantly dressed guests moving about the freshly cut lawn.

Separating myself from the others, I immediately set to work searching for my misguided friend. I didn't even think she thought of Hamish in the same way he did for her, which would make the proposal all the more unwelcome to her.

Catching sight of a tall, lean figure approaching me, I promptly turned and headed into the maze gardens. He picked the most inopportune time to try and pursue me, as always. I had seen Alice dancing with Hamish and was intent on telling her of his scheme, when Lowell found me.

Alice's sister and Lowell's wife, Margaret, had no idea of his lusty ways, but I did. He followed me everywhere I went, trying to seduce me when no one was around. Handsome as he was, I would not be treated like a mistress and Margaret didn't deserve to have a lying, cheating husband. When I refused Lowell, he always found someone willing.

"There you are, Miss Garter; I've been looking everywhere for you," he commented, catching up to me and looping his arm through mine. He grinned down at me, a charming, false smile, "I fear I've gotten lost though; would you like to help me find the way out of this annoying maze?"

"No thank you, Lowell," I slipped away from his side, speeding up my steps. Unsure as to whether or not he was trying to lead me deeper into the maze instead of helping me find the way out, I decided to try and lose him as quickly as I could.

"Why do you do this, Rose?" he inquired, jogging up to my side, taking my arm harshly in his strong grasp, "why do you pretend that you aren't attracted to me?"

"Lowell, I swear if you don't let go of my arm, I _will_ tell Margaret about what you do behind her back," my eyes narrowed as I stared up at him – the yellow occasionally dissuaded him. Hopefully now would be one of those times.

"Lowell, darling, might I have a word?"

We both turned to find one of our acquaintances standing near one of the many white rosebushes in the garden. She was giving him a sly smile, one that immediately caused him to release his grip on my arm. Without a word to me, he followed her out of sight.

Shaking my head and sighing, I turned, rolling my eyes, and headed off down one of the paths. I had yet to find my friend and tell her about the proposal. Hopefully I wasn't too late. Or better yet, hopefully John had found her and asked her before Hamish did.

Rounding one of the corners, I had to jump back as a small white blur dashed by me, followed by an intent Alice. Surprised, I wondered what she was chasing. It was too small to be a dog; a rabbit perhaps? But what was a white rabbit doing in the Ascots' garden? They hated rabbits.

Shrugging slightly, I decided to follow after my friend and her prey.

_**Please read and review! =)**_


	2. Do Rabbits Get That Big?

A/N: So, I'm glad people seem to like this so far! I appreciate all the reviews! Now that I have some free time, I'll update! Wooo! I should be updating my Carlisle Cullen story soon, not to mention trying to get a book published!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Alice in Wonderland_, but if I did, I would at least change Tim Burton's ending…

Chapter One: Do Rabbits Get that Big?

_Rounding one of the corners, I had to jump back as a small white blur dashed by me, followed by an intent Alice. Surprised, I wondered what she was chasing. It was too small to be a dog; a rabbit perhaps? But what was a white rabbit doing in the Ascots' garden? They hated rabbits._

_Shrugging slightly, I decided to follow after my friend and her prey._

It took a few minutes, but I finally rounded the last corner of the hedge maze. Not a hundred yards off was Alice standing beside a large tree. The rabbit was no where in sight, something that obviously startled both of us. She knelt down, facing the tree, inspecting something on the ground.

As I neared, I wondered if she had found the rabbit after all. Though I knew rabbits were usually terribly skittish and wouldn't allow someone to just kneel down and pet them, I didn't know what else she could be looking at.

"Alice, what've you found?" I called out, my steps slower now, on the off chance the rabbit was around. I didn't want to scare it, after all. Now that I was out of polite society, I desperately wanted to rid my head of the overbearingly hot wig. But even Alice didn't know that my true hair color was pink. Though she probably wouldn't care, I had been drilled by Mother to keep it on at all times.

She glanced over her shoulder and shrugged slightly, "I thought I saw a white rabbit in a waistcoat with a pocket watch. It told me I was going to be late for something. But then when I followed it, it disappeared down this hole."

I finally reached the tree and knelt beside my friend, ignoring the dark green stains that would probably like my dress from the freshly cut grass. There was indeed a rabbit hole at the base of the tree, but I had never seen one quite so big before. Almost five feet in diameter, it was easily large enough for a person to fit through.

"Do rabbits get this big?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow, laughing slightly. I'm sure you may be wondering why I haven't scolded my friend for considering rabbits in waistcoats that can speak. Well, it wasn't uncommon for the two of us to discuss the possibilities of random events occurring and, well, a rabbit in a waistcoat with a pocket watch that can speak was truly one of those things. I wasn't sure if she had seen it, but it _was_ a grand idea.

"No, they don't," she humored me, peering closer into the black hole in the ground, as though the rabbit would emerge from it to speak to her again, "and this rabbit wasn't that big either. Maybe there were a lot of rabbits that went through here? And that is why the hole is so big?"

"Well, whatever it is, you probably shouldn't stand so close, Alice," I replied dubiously, inching away from the hole as though the rabbit would jump out, grab my arm, and take me into the blackness beneath the dirt. It was entirely possible.

She didn't heed my warning, though, resting one hand on the tree's trunk to get a better look into the hole. If we had a lantern, or something incredibly ingenious that would allow us to shine a very strong light below, we could easily drop it in and see how deep the hole went or if the rabbit was even still in there.

I glanced out toward the open field just beyond this tree; the rabbit was probably half way to the next county by now, if they built as extensive tunnel systems as I had read they did. When my attention was turned from the rabbit hole (I was considering whether rabbits had their own hierarchies, as London did, and who would be their king… the white rabbit with the waistcoat?), when Alice let out a startled shriek.

Quickly looking at my friend, I was surprised to find her clinging to one of the tree's roots, only her arms sticking out of the hole. How she had managed to fall in, I wasn't sure, but I grabbed one of her hands and struggled to pull her to safety. Unfortunately for both of us, I was the smaller of the two and had little weight or strength to pull her to her feet. Instead, she ended up pulling the both of us down into the rabbit hole.

With a startled scream, I began falling through a space much larger than the hole in the ground had led me to believe. The hole connected to a tunnel, which went straight downward. It stretched out to at least a twenty foot diameter, giving me enough room to fall with ease. But with this led to the fact that I was too far from any wall of the tunnel to grab onto anything substantial.

A few feet down, Alice was falling faster than I was. She was screaming her lungs out, clawing for anything she could find. I had given up screaming; the speed at which I was falling stole my breath away anyway.

The farther I fell down the hole, the lighter it got. Strange as it sounded, there were floating candles and lanterns that lit the dark path downward. Not to mention, there were plenty of other oddities around me. Books were flipping their pages idly, tea was being poured from a kettle into a waiting teacup, though no one was holding either, and a full-sized grand piano was falling at a steady speed with Alice.

The fall seemed to last forever, though I can't say that it wasn't any fun. Whenever something with the potential to harm me in some way came too close, I would spin through the air, dodging it and saving myself from being hit by a heavy book or even the scalding tea, before returning to my normal, face first fall.

Before I could even register what was going on, Alice disappeared from sight, falling through what looked like a dirt floor. I couldn't even yell out in surprise when I saw this; the ground was coming at me too quickly. Like my younger friend, I fell through the surprisingly soft dirt, into a bright yellow room. I fell to the ground a few feet from Alice, who was just now sitting up, holding her arm in pain.

This floor was much harder than the dirt one and, as I landed a few inches from a chandelier, I groaned in pai… a chandelier?

Shocked, I turned to what was indeed a chandelier beside me, hanging perfectly straight upside down. In fact, when I glanced at Alice, her hair was sticking straight up on her head. Or should I say, straight down; I looked at the ceiling only to find that it should have been the floor. Realizing this, I immediately fell from the ceiling and onto the floor, barely missing a singular, elegantly crafted mahogany table.

Alice fell onto the floor on the other side of the table, refusing to stand for a moment or two. I, on the other hand, was exhilarated from the fall, even if the crash landing would leave me bruised and sore in the morning. I jumped to my feet, looking around the room with interest.

"Rose, did we truly just fall through a rabbit hole and into a strange room at the bottom of it; one that was upside down?" Alice inquired, a slight waiver of fear tingeing her voice. She still refused to open her eyes and inspect the room as I was doing.

On any side of the wall, there were dozens of doors. The room had to have at least twenty in total, all leading to who knew where. They were doors of different sizes and shapes and probably different wood as well. A quick trip around the room told me that each one was locked.

"We did," I answered immediately after my trip was finished, looking then to the table in the middle of the room. I hadn't noticed before, but there was a bottle sitting in the center, a tag that simply said _'drink me'_ hanging from its neck.

"Alice, there's no way out of this room," I stated, standing over her and offering her a hand. She accepted it, though she looked less than enthused about being in this strange place than I was, and I pulled her to her feet.

"You checked every door?" she inquired curiously, her brow furrowed upward in concern. Her eyes widened suddenly and I noticed that she was staring at the top of my head. I reached up for the wig, only to find that it had fallen in the descent. "What happened to your hair, Rose?"

"It's always been this color; Mother makes me wear a wig in public," I admitted, holding the bottle in my hand to show her, "but I did check the room and this is the only thing in here. Maybe we should drink it and see what happens?"

I was grateful that she didn't seem disturbed by my outrageous hair color as any other person would be. That's what friends were for, I suppose. Alice looked dubious about the bottle, but we really had no choice. As the older of the two of us, I took it upon myself to drink from the bottle first. It tasted terrible, like a mixture of swamp water and mold, but I managed to keep it down.

Before I knew what was happening, I could feel myself shrinking. Every bone and organ in my body shifted and shrank, until I was a mere five inches tall. Hiding under the layers of now too large clothes, I grabbed one of the ribbons from my corset and quickly fashioned a dress from it. Not bad, but not great, it looked like a sloppy version of what books always showed Greek goddesses wearing.

When I emerged from the clothes, I saw Alice pacing worriedly. When I inquired as to why, she gasped, relieved, "I thought you had vanished completely! I didn't know what to do!"

"Well, there must be a reason I'm so small," I commented, glancing around with my hands on my hips; I was too big to fit through a keyhole, so what was the reason for it?

Alice took it upon herself to wander the room again, looking for any sign of a way out. When she pulled back a thick, maroon, velvet curtain, we saw a small door, just big enough for me to fit through. I ran to it and shook the knob, but realized that it was as locked as the others were.

"Look, Rose, there's a key on the table!" she exclaimed, picking up the small black key. It was too big for me to hold, but if Alice pocketed it and shrunk, we could easily exit through that door.

She did exactly that and, while I peered through the small door's keyhole only to find a vast array of colors, I assumed she was making herself a dress. Done with that, she walked over to the door and handed me the small key, offering it to me, "Would you like to try it?"

Taking the key, I quickly tried to unlock the door, hoping against all hope that it would let us through. When the lock clicked, I quickly pulled the door open, running out into the bright sunshine of a world I was certain didn't exist in England.

Everywhere I looked was a vibrant color, be it on a tree or a flower, or even the clouds. Nothing seemed to be as it should, except that the sky was blue. The grass was occasionally a different shade than green. And the plants only vaguely resembled plants; the trees had the basic shape of a tree, but the branches swirled out in fantastic directions and the bark was a dark purple color. The flowers had long stems and leaves, petals reaching toward the sky.

My eyebrows were high on my forehead as I took in this world. Wherever we were, it certainly was a wondrous place.

_**Well, I hope everyone enjoyed! I think the Mad Hatter might be in the next one! Whoo! Definitely Chess though; yay, I love him! =D**_

_**Superdani akaVioletFairchild:**__ Hey! Oh no, a month?! It was really good; I think you'll like it! =) Haha idk, but I know I wouldn't want to dye my hair that color! Thanks I'm glad you like it!; __**Jadestar the Amazing**__: Thanks! I know, he's a major creeper! But I'm really glad you like it!; __**Sadie:**__ Thanks! It was really good and Johnny was incredible! I'm glad you like it! No, I actually haven't read that yet, but I've been meaning to! I just looked up a name that had to do with flowers on 20000 Names lol; __**Bloody Midnight:**__ Thanks so much!; __**Rainspiral:**__ Bunny!!; __**watergoddesskasey:**__ Thanks!; __**Me and Gaara 4ever: **__Haha Thanks so much! I'm really glad you like it!; __**LoopyLuna89:**__ Thanks so much!; __**XxPanda-BabiixX: **__Thanks! I hope this had a little more action lol. I'm glad you liked it!; __**Bmandaka: **__Thanks!; __**Heart of the Joker: **__Thank you so much! I hope you liked this chapter!; __**Aphrodite96: **__Thanks so much! I'm actually pairing her with the Mad Hatter; I know he looks weird, but it's Johnny Depp and he's sexy no matter what lol. Especially with that Scottish accent!; __**In a World of My Own: **__Thanks so much!; __**Celestial-Prime-15: **__Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!_


	3. Of Rosebushes and Smiling Cats

Disclaimer: I do not own _Alice in Wonderland! _What if I did? Whoa… but I _do_ own Rose, so bwahahaha!!

A/N: Wow, I just popped this chapter out in an hour lol!

Chapter Two: Of Rosebushes and Smiling Cats

_Everywhere I looked was a vibrant color, be it on a tree or a flower, or even the clouds. Nothing seemed to be as it should, except that the sky was blue. The grass was occasionally a different shade than green. And the plants only vaguely resembled plants; the trees had the basic shape of a tree, but the branches swirled out in fantastic directions and the bark was a dark purple color. The flowers had long stems and leaves, petals reaching toward the sky._

_My eyebrows were high on my forehead as I took in this world. Wherever we were, it certainly was a wondrous place._

"Curiouser and curiouser…," Alice breathed beside me, causing me to glance at my young friend. Her eyes were round and wide, taking in anything and everything that she could, a look of pure amazement on her face.

I'm sure my look was much the same, my smile painfully wide as I moved further away from the door – which shockingly was just a door with no building attached to it at all! So wherever we had just been was through that lone door, which seemed to be fading rapidly into nothing.

"Well, it seems we're stuck here, Alice, unless we can find another way out," I commented, dry amusement lacing my tone as I wandered over to a particularly lovely rosebush.

"What do you mean?" she inquired, quickly turning to where the door had been, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as she found it missing. She ran to where it was, her study of this intriguing land put on hold for a moment as she searched for the room of many doors.

I wasn't quite sure why I wasn't as worried as she seemed to be; we were trapped in a strange world with no way to get home. And yet, I didn't particularly feel the need to go home, at least not yet. There was so much to explore, seeing as this land stretched for miles, beyond my sight, in any direction. That was surely worth investigating, was it not?

As I leaned down to sniff one of the brightly hued turquoise blooms, a noise caught my attention. It sounded like speaking, but I couldn't be sure; if it was, it was certainly little more than a whisper. Glancing over to Alice to see if she heard it, I found that I was alone in noticing the words floating on the wind.

"I told you she's the right Alice…"

Yes, I certainly heard that! Stepping away from the rosebush, I looked around in confusion, my brow furrowing downward and my eyes narrowing as I tried to pinpoint the sound. It was definitely a male's voice, though high and altogether anxious.

"Alice, I believe someone's talking about you," I stated, keeping my voice loud enough for whoever was speaking to undoubtedly hear me.

Alice quickly spun around, making her way to my side as I ventured onto a path between two large trees. Just beyond them was a bit of open space, enough to find the culprit who had spoken. There we faced a large, colorful bird wearing a pair of spectacles, a tiny mouse in a pink shirt and trousers with a sword at its hip, two very round, identical boys with their arms interlinked, and a…

"White rabbit in a waistcoat…," I grinned to myself, eying the strange looking bunch with glee, "a spectacle indeed…"

"I knew I had seen it!" Alice smiled uncertainly to herself, "and I'm certainly not mad, not when you're here too, Rose. If I were mad I'd be here by myself." She didn't seem as confident as she wanted to be, though, and was still considering this all rather skeptically. I, however, found this to be incredibly interesting and fantastic. There was also an eerily… comforting quality to this place that I didn't quite understand.

"I'm not convinced…," the tiny dormouse squeaked, the voice obviously feminine, though I had to assume as an afterthought that it would be hard to tell with a voice so soft and squeaky whether it was male or female. The pink forced me to assume that it was a girl, however.

The rabbit looked irritated at that, shaking his head and tapping his foot impatiently. He began rambling and complaining, furious with his companions for not believing that this Alice was the one they were looking for – though I wasn't sure why they were looking for her in the first place – and how he had to see animals "up there" without any clothes on, doing their business where anyone could see. He was disturbed, to say the least.

"Well, let's have a look at her," the bird commented, leaning close to Alice and eying her intently. Alice took a step back, glancing worriedly at me, but I simply shrugged – I didn't think this bird would hurt her; he just wanted to be sure she was the right Alice, whatever that meant.

"And if she was, she might be," one of the round twins commented, staring curiously at Alice.

"But if she isn't, she ain't," the other one was looking at me, his brow furrowed quizzically, "she doesn't look like the same Alice at all…"

"Not her!" his brother shoved him hard in the side, pointing to Alice with a frustrated scowl on his face, "that one!"

"Oh, that one!" his twin nodded, looking between the two of us, "yes, _that_ one could be Alice, but this one could never be Alice."

"Do you know how long I've been trying to convince my mother of that?" I laughed, shaking my head and smiling. They all regarded me curiously, as though I shouldn't have spoken or as though they hadn't noticed me before. My laughter tapered off weakly and I shrugged slightly, "Erm, carry on, then?"

They did so, as the twins stepped forward. The one on the right stated brightly, "How d'ye do? I'm Tweedledee; he's Tweedledum."

The other stepped forward, offering his hand to Alice and stating, "Contrariwise, I'm Tweedledum and he's Tweedledee…"

"Alice," she answered, hesitantly, accepting the small, circular boy's outstretched hand and shaking it. She glanced at me and made to introduce me when the boys began accusing her of being the wrong Alice. "How can I be the wrong Alice when this is my dream?"

_So she thinks she's dreaming then?_ I laughed to myself, rolling my sunny eyes upward, _she doesn't think she's mad but she thinks this is a dream. Wait until she finds out that this isn't a dream at all… _

"We should consult the Oraculum," the bird commented wisely, returning the glasses to his beak and watching the Tweedle twins fight over which one of them would retrieve it. Finally they managed to go together and retrieve an enormous looking scroll, though they fought the entire way.

While Alice and the group continued to talk, I made my way to the outskirts of our clearing, wandering the strange forest's edge to take in all the serene, albeit different, beauty of this world. I returned to the rosebush, leaning down and inspecting it again. Would turquoise rosebushes smell the same or would they smell like something blue? Blueberries? I couldn't be sure, so I took a light sniff.

"Did you find what you were looking for then?"

The sharp voice caused me to draw back quickly, looking around in bewilderment for the speaker. It sounded incredibly close and, well, highly indignant. Upon closer inspection of the flower bloom before me, I was delightedly surprised to find that it had a face and that its leafy limbs were on it's stem as though it was its hips.

"Pardon me," I answered easily, laughing lightly and raising a slender dark eyebrow, "I just wondered what you smelled like, is all. I didn't mean to offend you. But so you know, to those of us with noses, you smell wonderful."

The flower grinned broadly, its posture relaxing as it bowed, "Thank you, miss! It's a pleasure to hear as much!"

I curtsied to the flower and began to make my way back to Alice and the others. What a strange land this was and yet, I found myself completely at ease here. No one commented on my outrageously pink hair or my brilliant yellow eyes; they were just as strange as I was.

"… Well, it was nice meeting you, but it's time for me to wake up… Good-bye…" Alice pinched herself in the arm but was incredibly surprised to find herself still in this place. When would she realize that this wasn't a dream? If I was here, with my own consciousness, then this was most certainly not a dream.

"Alice, you can't wake yourself up when you're not asleep," I stated when I returned to the group, placing my fists on my hips and shrugging, "can't you see how real this all is?"

"It's not real and I'm only dreaming," she retorted, pinching herself again, "and when I _do_ wake up, I shall tell you about this strange dream and you will laugh and think it's absurd."

"Okay then, do you remember falling asleep, Alice?" I inquired with a triumphant grin, "you were running from Hamish and fell down a rabbit hole. There was no sleep between then and now."

"I can help you if you like," the dormouse raced over and stabbed Alice in the foot, causing her to shriek in pain and hop away while I laughed to myself, only asking if my friend was alright when I finished giggling.

Suddenly, a loud crashing drew everyone's attention from that scroll and Alice. Spinning around, I saw enormous red playing cards with arms and legs (and spears) racing toward us, as well as an enormous, dirty white creature with equally enormous claws and teeth, and a tall, dark haired man riding a black stallion.

"Run!" the bird cried, as the group of creatures raced off in different directions as to avoid capture. Alice and I weren't long to follow, as I didn't particularly feel the need to get torn to shreds this afternoon.

I split away from the others, dashing into the thick trees and underbrush near the rosebush and taking off as quickly as I could. I had seen the others go in the opposite direction but I guessed that even now I was unlike everyone else.

The sound of trampling footfalls behind me kept me moving, despite the fact that the dress I had fashioned for myself wasn't exactly conducive to running through a thick forest (or running at all). Thankfully it stayed together and I managed to avoid getting captured by any one of the playing card knights that sought me out.

After a while, the footfalls behind me began slowing and disappearing. I wanted to chance a look behind me but the risk of falling or running into something was too great that I just pushed myself to maintain my run for another few minutes. Maybe then I could turn and check my progress.

Just as I turned and checked to see if I was being followed, I immediately tripped over something furry and solid. Tumbling to the ground, I gasped in surprise as I rolled through the leaves and rocks, coming to a halt a few feet from where I fell.

I froze, waiting to see if the cards would surround me and stab me, but nothing of the sort happened. What did happen was a deep, masculine chuckle filled the air around me. It wasn't menacing in any way, but seductive and slick.

Looking back to where I had fallen, a large gray tabby with light blue stripes stretched languidly and eyed me curiously, interestedly.

"Of all the places for a cat to be, you managed to be right in my path, though I didn't see you before I turned," I stated, rolling upward into a sitting position and fixing my dress to cover myself, as it had come undone slightly from the fall.

"Well, when I see a girl running through the woods as though her life depended on it, while nothing is in pursuit of her, I simply must find out why," the cat spoke, the owner of the deep, amused voice, sitting back on his haunches and smiling widely.

I shouldn't have been surprised that the cat spoke as well, when I had seen so many other creatures in this wondrous land, and, since he was a cat, I shouldn't have felt so embarrassed by him seeing me in such a state of undress. But I was, my face flushing – perhaps it was the fact that he could speak. Yes, the cats back home didn't speak and they certainly didn't have deep male voices.

"I was being chased," I answered, my tone easy though I was still slightly disturbed. Standing, I began to pick the leaves from my pink hair, which drew his attention to my features.

His grin widened and he inquired, floating upward until he was eye level with me, "Tell me, fair pink-haired lady… what is your name?" He vanished, causing my eyebrows to dart upward in surprise, before reappearing behind me, at my shoulder.

"Rose," I answered with a small shrug, turning to face this strange cat.

"Just Rose?" he inquired with a slight purr as I scratched his ear – what could I say? I was a sucker for cats, speaking or no.

"No," I answered with a smile, "Rosalba." Saying my name, my true name, here, just felt… right. The cat's grin grew larger than before.

_**Okie doke! Here's the newest chapter! I hope you all enjoyed and please review! I really appreciate them!**_

_**Sadie: **__Yes new chappie! I know, I love the Mad Hatter and Johnny completely rocks my socks lol! I wish he would have been in this chappie, but alas… My mom read Wicked and she really liked it! I should see if she has it or if she borrowed it from someone and read it. I really need to see it! Thanks so much for the review! =) ; __**Me and Gaara 4Ever: **__Haha thanks! I'm so glad you liked it!; __**watergoddesskasey: **__Thanks so much!; __**Bmangaka: **__Haha yeah she's pretty cool, huh? =) Thanks so much!; __**LoopyLuna89: **__Thanks so much! I know, I love Chess! He's so cool lol; __**Superdani akaVioletFairchild: **__I know I want pink hair too! I should dye it lol! Haha I'm so glad you liked it and the first time they see Underland! Hope you like this chapter!: __**Bloody Midnight: **__Thanks so much!; __**MAL: **__Thanks a lot! I'm glad you like it so far!: __**Bookits: **__Thanks! I hope this wasn't too long of a wait for a new chapter!; __**Heart of the Joker: **__Thanks! I know, I can't wait until they finally meet! I'm so excited for it!; __**In a World of My Own: **__=D ; __**M&M: **__Thanks so much! I will!; __**Celestial-Prime-15: **__Thanks so much! I know, I wish I could have fit him in here, but I didn't get a chance to! But at least we see Chess; he's my second favorite (after the Hatter, of course); __**Selene Ruby Rose Snape: **__Thanks so much! I hope this was a quick update!_


	4. Tea Parties and Mad Hatters

Ughh sorry for my lack of updates! I suck, I know… But school's over and here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Alice in Wonderland, _but if I did, I'd be pretty excited! =D

Chapter Four: Tea Parties and Mad Hatters

"_Just Rose?" he inquired with a slight purr as I scratched his ear - what could I say? I was a sucker for cats, speaking or no._

"_No," I answered with a smile, "Rosalba." Saying my name, my true name, here, just felt… right. The cat's grin grew larger than before. _

"Rosalba, you say," he commented, his grin stretching out to what looked like a painful length, "tell me, how did you get here? And when?"

"I came with my friend Alice," I answered, "she fell down a rabbit hole and pulled me in after her. And it wasn't too long ago. A few hours at best." Though, I wasn't a very good judge of time and I could have been very far off. This seemed like a strange place and I didn't know if time had the same meaning here as it did at home.

"Alice?" he inquired, "_the_ Alice?" He looked as though Christmas had come early and he was very intrigued.

"Well, she's the only Alice I know," I answered, "so she's _the_ Alice at the moment…"

"You, my dear Rosalba, are quite the character," the cat grinned, draping his tail over my shoulder and running the silky fur under my chin, "tell me, would you like to go to a tea party? After we find the only Alice you know, of course."

"Why not?" I smiled, standing and stretching, "lead the way… um…" He hadn't told me his name just yet. I wouldn't demean him by calling him 'kitty' or 'cat', seeing as he had the power of intelligent thought and would most likely get offended by such common names.

"They call me Chessure Cat," he replied, floating ahead of me, on his back, "you may call me Chess if you like, pink-haired lady."

"I think I will," I smiled, following the strange, floating feline in the direction we had just come. I trusted him to let me know if there was any sign of danger. Hopefully he wouldn't betray that trust.

We walked and talked for some time, before finally reaching a dazed, stumbling Alice. She was bleeding badly from three large gashes in her arm and it seemed to be taking its toll on her.

"Alice, are you all right?" I inquired, frowning in concern as Chess floated up to her, exchanging words and examining her wound.

"I'll be all right, Rose," she answered with an assured smile, pulling her arm away from the floating cat with a frown. She raced up to my side, hugging me tightly, before inquiring, "Do you trust him?"

"I have no reason not to," I answered with a shrug, sending Chess a smile, to which he gratefully inclined his head.

"Thank you, my dear," he purred, seemingly unaffected by Alice's lack of trust in him. This probably happened more often than not and he would most likely be surprised that I _did_ in fact trust him.

"Well, I shall have a look at this when I have the time," she commented, sending an uncertain glance in Chess's direction.

"Well, we haven't any time to lose; we must get the two of you to the Hatter so he can tell us if you are indeed _the _Alice and if you, my darling, are _the _Rosalba…," Chess commented, grinning, as he disappeared and then reappeared several yards away, "coming?"

"Why do they keep saying _the_ Alice?" she frowned, remaining still as I began to follow after the Chessure cat, "what does that mean and how can they be certain that I am _the_ Alice or not _the_ Alice?"

"Well, obviously this Hatter will know," I answered with a calm smile, "really, my friend, you worry too much. This is not a dream and the Hatter will be able to tell us what's going on. If you don't trust them, at least trust me."

"I do trust you," she replied with a grudging smile, "you've been like a sister these many years." Finally, she began to follow both Chess and I as we made our way to this Hatter and his tea party.

What did Chess mean by _the_ Rosalba?

HATTERHATTERHATTERHATTER

Through the thick, strange trees, I could see a brightness ahead. _We must be reaching a clearing of sorts, then, _I thought to myself, _good; I'm tired of walking_.

"Here we are, lovely ladies," Chess smiled, leading the two of us toward the clearing, "just a few more yards and the Hatter can sort out this mess."

"Who is the Hatter?" Alice inquired, now following Chess eagerly, realizing he wasn't a threat to her.

The end of my dress got snagged on a branch and I allowed the others to go ahead as I untangled it, freeing the material from the sharpened stick. A loud clatter caught my attention, as did a strange, lisping voice.

As I broke through the trees, I saw a very strangely dressed man standing before Alice. He looked so much bigger than her, but then I remembered that we were supposed to be that size, not the ones we were now.

"You're terribly late you know; naughty girl," he said in a high, giggling lisp. He had an enormous top hat on, though it was a beautiful piece. His hair was wild and orange, curly and sticking out on either side of his head. His skin was a strange, pasty white, mixed with pink here and there. His outfit was outrageous; a burgundy suit and a large white cravat. I didn't see his eyes yet, but I was certain they were just as strange as his garb. Yet, it all seemed to fit him rather well.

"Hatter, Alice does not seem to remember being here at all," Chess stated, floating around the man's head with a grin, though his voice sounded disappointed, "and we have yet another lovely guest who understandably does not remember…"

I assumed that he was talking about me, though I didn't know why. Of course I had never been here, unless I was here before my mind had the capacity to remember such things. I stepped forward, closer to the party, and the man finally looked at me.

His eyes were a strange, beautiful shade of lime green, one white pupil larger than the other. He had red painted above one eye and blue above the other. His nose, pale white, was straight and royal. He had high cheekbones, pronounced even more with the pink along the contours of his face. Despite his strangeness, I had to admit he was uncommonly attractive.

His already enormous eyes were wide at the sight of me. I knew I looked rough from the trip over, but I hadn't thought that I looked startling. He began walking toward me, his steps hesitant and uncertain.

I regarded him with the utmost curiosity, as he had yet to speak to me. He jogged the rest of the way, until he was a few feet away from me. He looked down at me, head cocked to the side. His unruly orange eyebrows met at the center, giving him a worried, confused look.

Removing his top hat, I was surprised to find that his hair didn't fly in every direction. He held it limply at his side, eyes darting over my features, lingering on the pink tresses and yellow irises.

"Hatter?" I questioned; I mean, obviously he was the one we had come to see. Since no one else had moved from the table and Chess and Alice were the only other ones there… and he had a lovely top hat, I had to assume that he was the Hatter we had searched for.

"My dear lady," he swept down to one knee, bowing before me and taking my nearest hand in his free one. He kissed the back of it several times, mumbling excitedly to himself as he did so. I did hear, "You've come back…"

"Have I been away?" I questioned dumbly. What else could I say? That I was happy to be back? As much as I liked it here, I was quite certain that this was a place in which I had never been.

He jumped to his feet, clasping both of my hands in his after he plopped his hat back on his wild hair, "O' course, m'lady…" His voice had changed drastically and I felt my body stiffen in response. I liked this voice; it was deep and husky, a thick Scottish burr lacing every word. "It's been quite a while since Underland was graced wi' your presence an' it shall be made whole now tha' you've returned…"

"Right," I smiled, still somewhat confused, though I decided to go along with it. Obviously I was, or seemed to be, someone of importance to the Hatter, so for now I would let him think what he liked. At least until I could figure out what was going on for myself.

He noticed my confusion and his smile fell. He seemed distressed as his lisping tone returned, "Do you… do you not know who you are, my lady?"

"I know who I am in my world," I stated, looking around at the table, where a disturbed looking hare and a tiny dormouse sat, watching us with interest, "here," I looked back at him, arching an eyebrow, "I am not so sure…"

"I shall do my best, then, to remind you," he stated with a smile, "come; would you like some tea, my lady?"

"Hatter, call me Rosalba," I answered, grinning when he beamed, leading me toward the table, "and Alice and I would very much like to know what's going on, while we join you for tea, of course."

Hatter let out a strange laugh, high pitched and irksome to at least Chess. I found it amusing and hoped to learn exactly who this man thought I was. And if I really was that person after all.

The hatter led me to the table, catching Alice's elbow on the way. He took the both of us to the head of the table, taking the chair at the very end for himself. Alice sat on his right and I sat on his left, taking in the scene with interest.

It was the strangest tea party I had ever been to and yet, I found myself thoroughly at ease. Why was that? I needed to know; it was so foreign and familiar in the same instance. I wanted to know what the Hatter knew, which seemed to be more than I could hope.

"Rose," Alice leaned over the table, as though that would keep the Hatter from hearing her, "do you believe in all of this?" She glanced down the table, watching Chess and the dormouse discussing something while the hare just whacked at people with his spoon.

Glancing up, I met the Hatter's gaze as he watched me curiously, awaiting my response rather eagerly. Smiling, I spoke to Alice, though I didn't look away from him, "Of course I do."

"Excellent," the Hatter grinned, clapping his hands together and beaming, "I knew ye would, Rosalba; I didna doubt it fer a moment." The grin on his face was more of a smirk, an alluring one at that. That, mixed with his Scottish accent… I would have to be on my toes with this one. And no man back home had ever made me think like that before.

_**Yay! A new update! Woo! This is the fourth story I'll be updating today! Well, one is new, a Dark Knight one Joker/OC! Please review, cuz I love them! And I promise more Hatter interactions to come!**_

_**Superdani akaVioletFairchild: **__Did you end up seeing it yet? Haha yeah, I liked the nickname, too, I had to add it again =) Haha I want one too! I hope you liked this chapter!; __**Selene Ruby Rose Snape: **__Thanks so much!; __**Kakashis-girl90: **__Thanks so much! Haha I love when he does that!; __**Bloody Midnight: **__Thanks so much!; __**Blitwings Babe: **__Haha yes he does!; __**Bmangaka: **__Haha yes he does! I'm glad you liked it!; __**Karrua: **__Thanks so much! There haven't been that many, I know. I'm glad you like it!; __**Loopy Luna 89: **__Thanks! I know, so did I! I can't wait until it comes out on DVD cuz I'll have to go buy it!; __**watergoddesskasey**__: thanks!; __**Dynasty-Feral: **__Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it!; __**Bookits: **__I'm sorry it took so long! I hope you enjoyed it!; __**Sadie: **__Thanks! Yeah, she fits in so well! Yeah, you're right about the second one XD!; __**RyuuZetsumei: **__Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it! Yeah, he does; I'd love to pet him lol!: __**own-girl-own-world: **__Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it!; __**SBMFanatic: **__Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it!; __**Method-2-My-Madness: **__thanks! I'm glad you like it! I hope it will be =D_


	5. Tea Party, Interrupted

A/N: Forgive my lack of updates! I feel awful about it! Hmm, does anyone know the series Band of Brothers by any chance?

Disclaimer: I do not own _Alice in Wonderland_. Sigh… And Lewis Carroll owns the Jabberwocky poem too! I only own Rose. So HA!

Chapter Five: Tea Party, Interrupted

_Glancing up, I met the Hatter's gaze as he watched me curiously, awaiting my response rather eagerly. Smiling, I spoke to Alice, though I didn't look away from him, "Of course I do."_

"_Excellent," the Hatter grinned, clapping his hands together and beaming, "I knew ye would, Rosalba; I didna doubt it fer a moment." The grin on his face was more of a smirk, an alluring one at that. That, mixed with his Scottish accent… I would have to be on my toes with this one. And no man back home had ever made me think like that before. _

The tea party was a lovely affair. I had already become a professional at dodging the projectiles that Thackery (the March Hare, of course) decided to fling my way, though Alice was still only learning. She had gotten hit already on multiple occasions and would probably be sporting a few new bruises as a result. Mallyumkin, the tiny, 'fierce' little dormouse, had taken a disliking to my friend, as well. She seemed to like me well enough, though I wasn't sure why, since I hadn't said very much to the mouse. Maybe that was the reason.

After a while of watching the guests' antics with amusement, I turned my attention to the Hatter. He had glanced in my direction on several occasions when he thought I wasn't looking, but I caught him every time. He seemed to want to say something but either couldn't or wouldn't.

"Alice, do you still believe that this is a dream?" I questioned curiously, cocking a dark eyebrow in her direction. She seemed to be slightly out of it, as though she would wake up at any moment. Unfortunately for her, that would be the last thing to happen.

She didn't answer, too distracted by Thackery to say anything. With a simple shrug, I gave up, stirring the sugar in my tea distractedly. Something felt wrong and I couldn't figure out what it was. I kept my gaze on the forest's edge, the one we had just been in, my eyes narrowed in thought.

"Is something the matter, dearest Rosalba?" the Hatter inquired in his light lisp. When I glanced at him, he had his vibrant orange eyebrows knitted together, looking as though he had a giant, furry orange caterpillar relaxing on his forehead. I bit back a giggle at that and smiled reassuringly.

"I'm fine," I answered lightly, leaning back in my chair and taking a sip of my tea. It was delicious, just the right temperature with more flavor than anything I could have found back home.

"Yes, _you_ are, but something is distracting you from… enjoying yourself," he replied, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the table, adjusting his hat slightly to see me better, "would you like to tell me?"

"Something just… I feel like something's not right," I answered honestly, sighing and setting my cup down in its saucer. I propped my head up on my fist, tilting my head as I watched his eyes widen in surprise.

"Somethin' around us?" he questioned, his eyes growing a shade or two darker, taking on a drastically different orange shade, his Scottish accent back with force. A chill or two ran up my skin, though it wasn't from fear or distress; rather, the tone of his voice, the burr of his accent, was what did it.

"I'm not sure," I replied worriedly, before my features smoothed out and I waved my hand distractedly, "but I'm sure it's nothing. I've had feelings like this back home and nothing happened any of those times either."

"Did y'ever think it might o' had somethin' te do wit' Underland?" he inquired, his darkened eyes scanning the vicinity, "all those times tha' it happened te ye in your world?"

"Why would it have anything to do with Under…," I began, before it dawned on me, "I've been here before, I know I have. I can't remember it, but I'm connected to this place, aren't I, Hatter?"

He had long since given up searching the area when I told him I was from here. His wide eyes returned to their bright, lovely green again and he held out his hand, resting it on the table, palm upward. Something in me urged me to put my hand in his.

Gingerly, I lifted my hand, resting it in his calloused, thimble-covered one. His fingers closed lightly over my own, his thumb gently rubbing circles over the back of my hand. A tremor ran through me, one that I think he picked up on.

"In more ways than ye know, my dear," he answered, a smirk tugging at his lips. His eyes turned upward, a thoughtful look in those large orbs, before he took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

But the minute he went to speak, I leapt to my feet, turning toward the forest's edge. The sound of a horse whinnying and the heavy footfalls of what I remembered to be those nasty playing cards' were fast approaching.

"Oh dear," the lisping Hatter was back, quickly searching through his things for something as Mally and Thackery quickly went about looking as normal as they could. Chess had disappeared, blasted thing, and Alice just looked confused.

"Here we are," the Hatter stated, pulling a bottle from his jacket and nearly shoving it in my mouth. I quickly drank it so I wouldn't choke and grimaced when I realized it was that disgusting shrinking stuff. He mimicked his actions with Alice as I began to shrink.

"Here we are," he picked me up gently, making sure the ribbon was covering me as he shoved me into his pocket, "I'm sorry about this, Rosalba, but we don't want you being found, now do we?"

Now that I was in the Hatter's pocket, I couldn't see what was going on at all. I could hear the sound of porcelain and Alice's voice complaining loudly, echoing, and figured that she was in the teapot now.

"Please, both of you must be quiet, that way neither of you are found out," the Hatter gently scolded her, adding me in there for good measure, as the sound of the horse and the footsteps neared.

"If it isn't my three favorite lunatics," I heard a voice call out, sounding relatively human. Though, in a place like this, where everything talked, I couldn't be sure without seeing.

The voices were muffled, aside from the Hatter's, seeing as I was pressed up against him, and I had no idea what was going on. But, from what I could gather, these people were looking for Alice. If they were the same cards from before, then that was obvious.

Suddenly, the first voice I had heard sounded extremely close and the Hatter was on his feet. As I looked up from my place in his pocket, I tried to remain hidden as best I could. A hand was around his throat and I held in a gasp; this was uncalled for!

He mumbled something about 'already lost them' before the hand disappeared, allowing the Hatter to breathe again. He glanced down into his pocket, making sure I was alright, so I gave him as best of a reassuring smile as I could.

Out of nowhere, the man that had been choking him yanked the ribbon from the Hatter's pocket, almost taking me out with him. Instead, I was left to squeak and dive for cover so no one would see me undressed. The Hatter turned his eyes from my haven quickly, his cheeks tinged pink. Hopefully I was small enough to remain, well, unseen as far as that went.

"That? Oh, that's just a ribbon, doesn't belong to anyone aside from myself," he was saying loftily, giggling in that strangely endearing way of his, "you should know me by now, Stayne; I have a vast array of…" He shut up quickly at this Stayne's outburst, only offering a goofy smile.

Eventually, the man moved from his side and the Hatter leaned forward, mumbling, "Down with the Bloody Big Head…" As soon as he said that, a dog howled, surprisingly close, and everyone seemed to leave the area.

I could hear Mally and Thackery laughing and the Hatter working on something for Alice. When he was done with that and removed Alice from the teapot, he pondered aloud, "Oh dear, what to do for you, Rose. He's taken your ribbon and now knows you're here."

He avoided looking down at me for modesty's sake, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He beamed suddenly, and turned his hat around, doing something with the ribbon that was tied to it. Before I could question him, he stuck his forefinger and thumb into the pocket, a tiny pink, satin dress between them.

Grabbing it, I quickly dressed before calling, "I'm decent, Hatter!" As soon as I spoke, he looked down, admiring his work and grinning. He reached into his pocket again and grabbed me gently around the waist, pulling me back out into daylight.

"You look lovely, Rose," he commented, setting me down onto the table beside Alice, "pink really is such a fitting color for you, my dear."

"Thank you, Hatter," I smiled, a blush crossing onto my face, looking down at my hands. I could feel Alice's eyes on me but avoided looking at my friend. I couldn't explain why the Hatter made me blush, which is why she was probably eyeing me curiously.

"What do we do now?" Mally inquired, looking up at the Hatter in concern. Obviously the fact that we were being searched for was a danger to everyone, including those at the tea party.

"We take them to the White Queen," he explained, removing his hat and lowering it to the table. Mally stood excitedly, but the Hatter shook his head. Only Alice and I would be going apparently. So the former climbed onto the brim of his hat, but before I could do the same, he lifted it and returned it to his head.

At my frown, he offered me his hand and I climbed on quickly, wondering if he was just going to carry me, dangling at his side. Instead, he placed me on his shoulder, standing and beginning our journey to find the White Queen, whoever she was.

He shot me a grin, one which I couldn't help but return. Something very strange was going on in Underland. I had a strong connection to the place and, it would seem, the Hatter. Perhaps the White Queen would know why, since the Hatter didn't appear to want to answer questions anymore. He began to recite some poem, his deep Scottish burr running through me.

"'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves, Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch!""

I honestly had no idea what half the things he was saying meant, but I knew it wasn't good. Whatever this Jabberwocky was was the thing that Alice was supposed to slay. Jaws that bite? Claws that catch?

He continued on with the poem and it was becoming clearer and clearer. And none of it was any good. I couldn't see Alice, but I was certain that she wasn't enjoying the poem either.

When he finished up, I took note of our surroundings. Everything was dead, charred to a crisp. Wherever we were, it had the Hatter tensing and frowning darkly. His distress made me wish I was his size and could take him in my arms if only to give him some comfort. How did he do this to me?

_**So, what'dya think? Let me know! =)**_

_**Pirate Lass: **__Thank you so much!; __**Blitzwings Babe: **__Haha thanks! I'm sorry it takes so long for me to update. I've been so busy! I wish I had more time to update =/ But I'm glad you like it!; __**Bloody Midnight: **__Thanks! I'm so glad you like it!; __**LoopyLuna89:**__ Thank you! Yeah, I bought it! Woo! I hope you're liking the Dark Knight one! I'm going to update that next!; __**Sadie: **__Thanks so much! Haha yes indeed! He was gonna tell her too, darn interrupting Stayne! I'm so glad you like it! Oh, you wouldn't happen to like Band of Brothers, would you?; __**Bmangaka: **__Haha yeah, Alice is too suspicious! If I were there, I would be loving every minute of it! Which is why Rose does! Haha! And I love his accent too!; __**Superdani akaVioletFairchild: **__Thanks! I know, it is so amazing! I loved every minute of it! I'm soo glad you like it =D; __**Kakashis-girl90: **__Thanks so much! Haha yeah, that'll probably come next chapter!; __**harlequin cabaret: **__Thanks so much! I'm really glad you like it =) I can never find Hatter/Ocs, which is disappointing! But I'm happy you're enjoying it!; __**wild-in-spirit: **__Thanks! I do too! I love the Hatter! =D I'm so glad you like it!: __**TheWhiteTigerAllia: **__Haha thanks so much! I plan too!; __**SilverUkami: **__Thanks so much! I'm sorry it took so long to update! =/; __**kurounue13: **__Sorry it took so long!; __**Luna4816: **__Thanks! Haha I'm so glad you like it!; __**Bubblegum889: **__Thanks so much!; __**The Avid Musician: **__Thanks so much! I'm so glad you like it!; __**Phantom's Ange: **__Thanks so much! I'm really glad you like it =D_


	6. News

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've been super busy with work and writing my own novels. Speaking of, I need to do a little self-promotion! I have written and published an ebook on Kindle called Running. It's a paranormal romance set in Gettysburg, PA. The main character is a medium on the run from killers who she helped put behind bars. If you like my style and want to help support a fledgling author, please check out Amazon and search for the author Cara McKay and the title "Running". It will soon be available for Nooks and other e-readers. Please check it out and let me know how you like it! I'll put the URL on my homepage for those who want it =D

And hopefully I can update this soon!

Thanks a bunch!

~Lift the Wings


End file.
